Enhancing Negotiation Skills in Legal Education: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence through a Chat Bot Approach
Dr Tammy Johnson
Abstract
As legal educators, the challenge of effectively preparing students for the real-world is ever-present. Traditional methods of teaching negotiation skills often lack the opportunity for students to practice and develop this essential practical skill. In response to this challenge, this paper proposes the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into legal education through the development of a specialised chat bot tailored to enhance students' practical legal skills.
Initially focussing on negotiation skills (before expanding to other skills such as client interviewing and advocacy), this innovative approach aims to provide students with a convenient and accessible platform for practicing and enhancing their negotiation skills in a simulated environment. By enabling students to upload facts and designate roles within a negotiation scenario, the chat bot will facilitate realistic and personalised practice negotiations. Through interactive dialogue, students will engage with the chat bot to create an agenda and negotiate key issues, allowing students to practice using different negotiation skills. The chat bot will also offer feedback to students after each session, focusing on the specific skills and competencies to be assessed.
By leveraging AI capabilities, such as natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, the chat bot can provide nuanced feedback tailored to the student’s individual performance, thus encouraging their continuous improvement. This paper explores the potential benefits of implementing such a chat bot in legal education which include enhanced skill development, increased accessibility to practice opportunities, and personalised feedback. Through the integration of AI technology, educators can empower students to hone their negotiation skills in a simulated yet immersive learning environment, better preparing them for their journey into legal practice.
Biography
Tammy Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Law at Bond University. A lawyer for several years, Tammy eventually sold her practice to pursue her academic interests. Tammy practiced in the areas of property law, commercial law and succession and estate administration. At Bond, Tammy teaches several subjects including Property Law, Contract Law, Legal Drafting and Conveyancing and the Law of Succession and Administration of Estates. Although Tammy received her PhD in health law (Commercial Surrogacy Regulation in Australia) in 2020, her research interests have now gravitated towards learning and teaching in higher education, particularly legal education.